The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-09
RAIN NEEDED FOR RICE.
uNFAvoRABLE PRosPECTFoR THE
CROP AT PRESENT.


The Acreage Between Is and 20 Per
Cent. Less Than Last Year and the
Grain Two Weeks Later - Many
Stands Ruined by Blackbirds and
Bobolinks.
The rice planters are growing weary over
the long drought Weeks have elapsed since
there was q good soaking rain, and there
has not even been a respectable shower for a
month. One of the largest and most sue
cessful planters in the State remarked yes
terday that the reports which he has of the
crop are meagre. He added that 'the acreage
planted appears to be great deal less than
last wear. however The decrease amounts
to as much as Is or 20 per cent. My plant
ing is 20 per cent. less.
THE cold weather of March and early
April destroyed great deal of the first
planting, and the red winged blackbird has
caused a great loss to the stand. never
saw the little pests so numerous and so
ravenous. A great many planters had TO
replant for want of a stand. Those who
did not replant have as a general thing
thin stand, and the fields are bare of rice on
the hills. / hear of some stands of rice
having been destroyed lately by the bob
olink or May bird These birds winter in
Mexico, Central America, Cuba, and all
down the Antilles.
RUIN BY THE BIRDS.
Last February was unusually warm and
Che bobolinks started North earlier than
usual They were kept back a little by the
cold snaps of month ago, and got here
just in time to catch the young rice
The rivers are very low from want of
rain, and | understand that the water is
getting brackish in a great many of them.
Unless We have heavy rains before we put
on the harvest water in June our crops will
suffer very materially, especially in the
up the streams. We must have
fresh water for the flows The
back waters on inland places are dried up
and | see very little prospect, if any, for a
crop on those places unless we have heavy
rains this month. 1t will take rain every
day for three or four weeks to fill up
the bitches so as to give the flow wanted
Labor is plentiful, said the gentleman,
"but very little is being employed, for we
are trying TO make cheap crops and so
pinch everywhere to make ends meet.
think prices will rule higher next season.
Even now the market is looking up
LITTLE RICE ON HAND
''There is but little rice on hand and there
is a good demand for all grades. Last
years crop was very fair, a full acreage
being planted and the yield being good
Prices, however, have ruled very low, some
rice having sold below the cost of produc-
ton. The bulk of the crop has been mark
eted, more rice having been used because it
was cheap. The stock on hand in the mills
in Savannah is quite small-about 145, 900
bushels of rough. | understand that the
stock in Charleston is almost exhausted
This years crop will beabout two weeks
late"
From all that can be learned the South
? Carolina crop threatens to be short, because
ef the drought cold spring and birds II is
lair to assume that the water in the rivers
over there is even more bracllish than the
water in the Georgia rivers, because Caro-
bna's rivers are shorter and have not as
great volume of fresh water running down
them as the longer rivers of Georgia have
The reports from Louisiana do not seem to
be any more favorable. The planter quoted
above says that the American planters are
satisfied at growing enough for home con
sumption, and do not care TO export to try
to compete with East India rice, which can
not be put on the market here for less than
44c. per pound.